The present invention relates to cabinets for the display of collectibles, and more particularly such cabinets having interior electrical power receptacles.
Collectibles include miniaturized models of village buildings, houses, and cottages. These collectibles incorporate ornate detail and may include interior lights for enhanced visual effect. Each such lighted collectible requires a power connection--typically a power cord extending from the rear of the collectable and designed to be plugged into a common household power receptacle.
Collectors often store and display the collectibles in display cabinets, which typically include glass walls and shelves to permit viewing of the collectibles without opening the cabinet. Collectors may arrange the collectibles on the shelves to replicate village settings. Such settings may include cotton to simulate snow and cover the power cords. The shelves of a display cabinet are typically designed to be height-adjustable to a variety of desired shelf heights.
Designers of lighted-collectibles display cabinets are thus faced with the challenge of providing an electrical power source to the interior of the cabinet in order to power each lighted collectible. Further, the electrical power source must be adjustable to accommodate the varying shelf-height locations. Cabinet designers also seek to minimize the visual distraction that interior power systems may cause, thereby disrupting the "village" effect of the combined display of the collectibles.
One such prior art cabinet is sold by Collectible Displays Inc. of West Chester, Ohio. This cabinet is illustrated in the brochure included with the Information Disclosure Statement filed with this application and also is illustrated in FIG. 1 of this application. The prior art collectibles cabinet 10 includes shelf 12 designed to support and display lighted collectibles (not shown). Shelf 12 is adjustable in height. A power compartment 14 mounted under shelf 12 includes compartment base 15 and hinge door 17. The shelf includes one or more openings to permit power cords from the collectibles to be inserted into the power compartment. An electrical-receptacle power strip 16 is mounted to hinge door 17. Power cords 19 from lighted collectibles are plugged into receptacle power strip 16. Hinge door 17 can be closed to hide power receptacle 16 and power cords 19.
However, collectibles display cabinet 10 has several disadvantages. The fold-away compartment 14 adds to the manufacturing complexity, shelf weight, and cost of the collectibles display cabinet 10. The shelf cannot be fabricated of glass as is desirable in collectibles cabinets. Further, the fold-away compartment 14 reduces the space available between shelves for storage and display of collectibles.
An existing system for supporting height-adjustable shelves rests the shelves on L-shaped shelf clips 23. (FIG. 6.) Each shelf clip has an insert post 35 and shelf support portion 36. The insert post 35 of shelf clip 23 is inserted into a bore hole formed in the cabinet. The shelf rests on the shelf support portion 36.
Because shelf track 22 is made of wood, over time the diameter of bore hole 34 in shelf track 22 may expand or enlarge because of wood shrinkage in a dry climate--or may deform because of the stress of supporting the shelf together with the objects displayed on the shelf. As a result of the gradually deformed bore holes, the shelf clips gradually support the shelf lower relative to the original height. If the bore holes deform sufficiently, the shelf is so low that the L-shaped shelf clips slip out of their bore holes. This causes the shelf to fall and destroy the collectibles that may be displayed on the shelf.